'Tough man': Experts accuse Will Lewis of 'flopping' as Fremantle earn 'contender' tag from comeback win
Updated . First published at
Western Bulldogs recruit Will Lewis has been called out for "flopping" after an incident late in the second quarter of his side's loss to Fremantle.
The 26-year-old drew a high contact free kick deep inside 50, and not his first of the night, dropping low into a Matt Johnson tackle.
He then went back and missed the set shot from 25m out, which would have given the Dogs a strong lead going into the main break.
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Will Lewis draws the high contact free kick. Fox Footy
"I think he went looking for (the high contact)," Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy in the moment.
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon added: "No question he did. He's got a bit of old-fashioned craft about him, this fella.
"He's gone low and the umpire has paid it."
After missing the set shot, Lewis ran at Johnson and sparked a scuffle with him, dropping to the ground after a jumper punch to the chest.
Lyon did not like the act, accusing the forward of flopping in an attempt to draw another free kick.
"Well, if he wants to be a tough man, he would want to stop flopping like that," Lyon said.
"I like the way he goes about it, he's a niggler, he likes to get involved, (but) you can't go flopping over."
Matt Johnson's jumper punch to Will Lewis. Fox Footy
Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel was similarly disappointed with Lewis going to ground.
"(Lewis) was like a fish in the boat, flip-flopping around," Bartel told 3AW.
"He's still carrying on about it."
Lewis continued to go at Freo defender Alex Pearce as the ball left their forward half from a kick-out.
Fellow Geelong premiership hero Cameron Ling believes Lewis had no right to go at Johnson and the Fremantle captain after blowing the all-important set shot.
Will Lewis hits the deck after the contact. Fox Footy
"No point going to fight the guy on the mark. You just missed an easy set shot for goal. Get back in position and get on with the game," Ling told ABC Sport.
"Now he's going at it behind the play with Alex Pearce. How about you just kick a 25m set shot for goal for your team?"
The Bulldogs added Lewis to their list via the supplemental selection period coming into the 2026 season. He has played four AFL games this season.
It was a swing moment in the game as the Dockers took the ball up the other end of the ground and kicked a goal through Murphy Reid on the half-time siren.
That sparked Fremantle in the second half, who overturned what was a 26-point second quarter lead to win 17.12. (114) to 15.12. (102) in one of the games of the season.
Marcus Bontempelli's 33 disposals and two goals wasn't enough to drag his side over the line in the end.
Hayden Young was the hero for Fremantle, booting three goals, including an unbelievable banana from the boundary late in the game.
The Dockers kicked six in a row to get out to their own 28-point lead in the fourth term, before the Bulldogs them responded and got back within a kick themselves, but ran out of time.
The comeback win on the road impressed former AFL Coleman Medallist Scott Cummings, who labelled Freo "genuine contenders" on social media.
They'll have another chance to prove that against top-of-the-table Hawthorn on Thursday night.
For the Bulldogs however, it was a fourth straight loss, despite the gallant performance, as their season continues to head south with injuries to significant players.
